WATERTOWN — A visit to a home to check on the welfare of a tenant Tuesday night led to a seizure of more than $40,000 worth of steroids and packaging materials by police.

Police said they arrested Reid Behrle, 31, of 305 Woodbury Road, was arrested shortly after they responded to a call to check on his welfare at about 7 p.m.

Inside the home, police seized vials of steroids, packs of pills, bags of powder and a bevy of packaging materials they suspect were used to distribute anabolic steroids.

Behrle's landlord told police he couldn't get hold of him two days in a row and was worried, prompting him to call for help.

After knocking several times on a screen door, but getting no response, officer Christopher Marciano reported seeing prescription pill bottles on a bed. He then walked into the home, finding Behrle asleep on a couch.

Near the sofa, the officer reported seeing a plastic case on the floor that held sandwich bags filled with powder.

Based on the discovery of that case, police asked Behrle if they could search his home, which they say he consented to.

Throughout the home, police seized 71 glass vials filled with suspected liquid steroids, five heat-sealed bags of pills, and bags that held hundreds of empty pill capsules.

Officers discovered a notebook in his living room that held labels from prescription bill bottles, then found a machine for filling the pill capsules and syringes in his bedroom.

They also seized calling cards for a pre-paid cellular phone.

Most steroids are illegal without a prescription, and are only prescribed for the treatment of limited medical conditions. Many of the steroids police say they found in the home, such as masteron and anavar, are available online, typically on foreign websites. It's unclear if Behrle had a prescription for the substances police say they found in his home.

Behrle was charged with operating a drug factory, 10 counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with possession with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school zone because police say his home was near the Taft School on Woodbury Road.

Behrle, who weighs about 175 pounds and sports a shaved head that caps a 6-foot tall frame, was arraigned Wednesday in Waterbury Superior Court where his bond was reduced to $25,000. Behrle, who does not have a criminal record, was ordered to return to court later this month.

Newspaper archives show he was an honors student at Kaynor Technical High School in Waterbury.

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FREEPRESS wrote on Jul 17, 2014 5:01 AM:

" Uh, what does his hair style, height and weight have to do with the story? What next? A description of and commentary on the arrested's fashions and tats?

I can just see it now: The suspect was wearing a Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt, silky lounging pants in a stunning deep blue pattern and Nike slides were alongside the Ikea couch on which he slept. Ikea and Nike officials stated they do not knowingly sell their products to illegal drug dealers and do not do background checks on their buyers. "

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